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VSO states they work for the VA not for ME

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GeekySquid

Question

So, as some know I have been having a little war with the VA and my VSO, the American Legion, about getting my DBQ's.

So today I went to the VSO's office in the VARO building during their "walk in" hours since I could not get them to give me an appointment.

On the door was as sign saying the office was closed for the week for training and left the 800 number for Washington DC office.

I knock on the door anyway. Two ladies answer.

Tell them what I want and that I need them to do it today.

They invite me into the office.

I hand them a typed sheet with the Dates and Dr's of my C&P's and a list of documents for each one that I need.

The first lady says she doesn't know why I am there. The second lady says she will help me. The first lady says show me how we do this.

Okay

I tell them again what I want and the 2nd lady says why do you want to file a NOD, I tell her. She says you don't need these files to file an appeal.......The VA already has them. I tell her I need to know exactly what the DBQ says and what the letters to and from VA says. I also need the code sheets as they existed at each point for each approved and denied C&P.

She tells me no i don't and if I insist on filing a NOD I should just file an HLR.. I told her no, that would not work for this and the HLR results are not typically veteran friendly.

She then spends 20 minutes more telling me that I need to listen to her because veterans don't know what they want and don't know anything about the VA and how to win their claim.

She then says "We work for the VA not for you, and the VA knows what it is doing".

this of course makes me mad and I say to her " I am asking you to get me these files. nothing more. I have heard your opinion and all you need to do is get me copies of these files." She then starts in again trying to convince me not to file.

I get more insistent and tell her that i heard her but I expect her to do exactly as I requested, nothing more.

She then says "Well you don't need those files so let me file the NOD" I tell her NO. Resoundingly empathically NO>

She then tells me I know how to file a NOD. She then remembers I am filing a CUE and says "you shouldn't file a CUE because you will never win and then the VA will be mad at you"......

Just f'ing wow.

Then I tell her once again to do what I asked her to do and to stop trying to dissuade me from what I want. I tell her she is wasting her time and mine and that all I want is her to get those documents.

She then yells to the other woman to get "Bill".  Man comes in and says "those are VA files you don't get to have them".

I tell him he is wrong and ask who he is. He refuses to answer. I look at woman 2 and say Please tell me your full name so I have a record. She wants to know why. I tell her point blank, that the next time I speak to AL in DC I am going to reference her and what she has said and not done. I then look at "Bill" and ask his name. He tells me 'you don't need to know that". I tell him I do because saying "Bill from AL means nothing to anyone". He snaps back 'I don't work for AL I work for VFW".

I ask him why he is sticking his nose into an AL situation? He gets mad and leaves.

She writes down her name, at least I think it is her name, date and time .

Then says all she is going to do is fill out a FOIA.  At this point I decide to let her do that and get a copy to submit with my complaint to the AL.

 She then asks me what I want. Types that I want my C-file and the files on the attached sheet, prints it, shoves it at me and says to Sign it. I tell her no it is not accurate and ask for a pen and write explicitly what  I want.

She literally tries to argue with me.

I tell her to stop arguing and write the FOIA the way I tell her.

She writes it wrong in her own phrasing and i made her redo it.

Then I made her add Time is of the essence on the form.

When she handed it to me. I initialed before and after the typing and drew a line threw the blank space.

She gasped and asked why I did that. I said "its blank space and anyone could add words to that blank space. She then started to say, and got half way through saying

'I needed to put more stuff...." and then shut up as she realized she was admitting to falsifying a FOIA over my signature.

 

I am not sure which is worse, having the people with my POA try and screw me over or having the VA which is supposed to be on my side try and Screw me over.

 

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22 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

ease program has its flaws too  but at least no unexpected repairs  or maint cost during the lease.

I like tat part too Buck...no unexpected mechanical issues, there is the warranty. Plus most routine maintenance is only an oil change and that is only every 10,000 miles. A lease does make sense, I just have to get past not owning it is all...lol

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2 minutes ago, GBArmy said:

I'm not real big on leasing, but there is one big advantage. IF you should die leave a wife that is totally clueless about car maintenance  or repairs

GB I do worry about things like that. It's not that my wife is dumb she is just not interested, now makeup that is a different story...lol

I also worry that if something happened to my wife would she get taken advantage of when it comes to home repairs. I am not a genius when it comes to home repairs but I do know enough when they are trying to get more money than the job truly costs.

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I haven't read this whole thread yet but caught GBArmy's statement-

 "Just remember one thing; there is absolutely no one who is a better advocate for you than yourself, and don't forget it. So, every veteran with a claim issue should be doing the lion's share of the work on his claim. If it isn't done right, then you know who's at blame and can fix it."

He is absolutely 100% correct.

And get the spouse up to speed as well.

Some of those vet reps will try to walk all over a surviving spouse and many of the VSOs and reps out there do not have a clue on DIC or accrued...so stay as healthy as you can!

 

 

 

 

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Well I agree veteran must must put the time in for there claim.

I found that out years ago some lawyer dnt even no the law they just got in the business of helping veteran.

After the law change to were they can get pay early in claim process it use to be only a appeal to the court a veteran could get a lawyer. So not many lawyer wanted to help veterans. So many didn't no the the cfr or care to get into it

So I would tell every veteran to read the cfr its the law. An easy to read it an hadit help me go from 10% to 100 with 8 yr of retro. Because my case that was appeal by vfw was never certified to the board by va

I got a rep put in my owe paper took it to court an won. 

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